Portable socket



Feb- 16, 1932.

H. H, wERMlNE 1,845,638

PORTABLE SOCKET Filed Deo. 5' 192,7

Patented eb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATI-s PATENT OFFICE HUGO IEE. WERMINE, F 'VILLA PARK, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO B-ELDEN. MANUFACTUR- ING GOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS PORTABLE SOCKET Application iled December 5, 1927. Serial No. 237,770.

The invention relates to improvements in portable socketsA and, although susceptible of wide application, is of particular service in connection with so-called extension cords li which are subject to severe abuse.

' The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a socket and housing assembly which may be taken apart or put together quickly and conveniently; to provide an extension orportable socket of the class described so constructed that the socket as a whole may be safely and conveniently handled without danger of shock and without damage to any ofthe various items of the equipment; toprovide a portable socket the parts of which will not be damaged by heat generated in the device for which the socket forms aconnection; to provide a portable socket which shall be neat and attractive in appearance, simple and economical in design 'and manufacture and, in general, to provide a rugged, durable and eiicient portable socket of the character referred to.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is disclosed as applied to a portable socket arranged for receiving or holding a current consuming device, in this instance a lamp bulb, and in said drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the combined cord, socket and handle, lamp and lamp guard,

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, l v

Fig. 3 is a section taken onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of y Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the'line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. l, 10

vrepresents an ordinary electric Ylamp bulb which, asv shown in Fig. 2, is equipped with the regular Edison base 11, adapted to screw into a conducting socket or shell 12 having the usual threaded formation 13. In rthe bottom of the metallic socket or shell 12 there is placed a porcelain disc 14, the periphery of which is V-shaped as shown at 15, the bottom portion 16 of the shell being spun or otherwise formed over the V-shaped portion 15 of the disc 14 so that the latter is held yrigidly in position in the bottom, of said shell. y

The central contact button 17 of the lamp base to which one of the filaments of the lamp 1s connected in the usual manner, engages a center contact spring 18 which fits in a noncircular recess 19 in the upper surface 'of the porcelain disc 14 and is secured therein by an anchoring screw 20 extending through the porcelain disc 14 into a tapped hole in Contact plate 21.

`The contact plate 21 is formed with a downwardly turned ear 22 tapped to receive a binding screw 23 under the head of which the wire of one of the insulated conductors 24 of the portable cord 25 is secured in a usual manner. The wire 26 of the other conductor 27 of said twin portable cord ,25 is secured under the head of a similar binding screw 28 which screws into a hole tapped into the lower end of a strap connector 29 soldered or otherwise mechanically and electrically connected to the outer .surface of the said shell 12.

The socket shell 12 and associated parts are contained within a bell-shaped housing or casing 30, the front or open end of which receives the lamp base while the other end of said bell-shaped housing 30 is extended axially in the form of an integral tube or sleeve 31 so as to house a substantial length of the portable cord 25 and incidentally to form a han' dle by which the portable socket may be conveniently manipulated. v

rl.`he bell and sleeve or handle 31, as shown are formed integrally and are constructed of molded soft rubber. Hence,.the housing as a whole is unbreakable and, being a good insulator, prevents electric current from straying; In order to prevent damage to the rub-V ber by reason of heat transmitted to the socket or shell and other parts from within the lamp bulb 10, or other device, an air space is provided between the inside surface of the bell 30 and the shell and associated parts, in addition to which the internal diameter of the sleeve 31 is substantially in excess of the external diameter of the outer covering of the portable cord 25. However, for the purpose of preventing the leakage of Water or other liquids into the sleeve 31 along the cord 25, the bottom portion 32 of the handle 31 is made to t the portable cord 25 quite snugly. It will be understood that the outer covering of the portable cord 25 is preferably of soft rubber so that a good fit may readily be secured.

The socket shell and associated parts are retained within the bell-shaped housing 30 by means of an inwardly extending shoulder 33 adjacent the open end of the housing 30, which shoulder in the present instance takes the form of an internal bead or rim, the in ternal diameter o f which is substantially in excess of the external diameter of the base 11 so that a space is provided for air to circulate between the base and the rim or edge of said shoulder. The shoulder 33 is engaged by the outer edge of an annular flange 34 projecting outwardly from the open end of the shell 12 and formed integrally therewith. The external diameter of said flange 34 is substantially equal to or possibly slightly in excess of the normal internal diameter of the body portion of the bell-shaped housing 30 so that the shell 12 will be maintained securely in position within the said housing 3() without rattling or shaking around therein. Also, to permit circulation of air, the flange 34 is made with a plurality of apertures as shown at 35. The inner `end of the socket is effectively maintained substantially coaxial with the housing by providing the housing with a countersunk recess into which the inner end portions 15 and 16 of the socket fit snugly as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The open end of the bell-shaped housing 30, b eing of soft elastic rubber is capable of being stretched or distorted so as to permit the flange 34 of the shell 12 to pass into the open end of the housing in spite of the fact l that the shoulder 33 is made small enough so as normally to prevent accidental dislodgment of the shell from the housing. Obviously, when connecting or disconnecting the conductors by .means 'of the binding screws 23 and 28, the socket and associated parts including the bared ends of the conductors must be drawn up through the open end of the housing so as to permit access to said binding screws. Where the device is used as a portable lamp as in the present instance, it is desirable to employ a guard element or shield, for example, `as shown at 36 which preferably is carried by a hoop or ringshaped element 37 clamped around the open end of the housing 30. In order to secure said clamp 37 in position, it is made channel-shaped, the trough of the channel fitting over an annular enlargement or bead 38 formed integrally at or adjacent the open end of the bell-shaped housing 30. It is obvious that when the clamp member 37 is in position on the end of the bell-shaped housing 30, the `end of the housing is compressed inwardly in tight fitting engagement with the flange part 34 of the shell and hence the latter is held quite rigidly in position irrespective of the flexibility or elasticity of the material of which the housing is constructed. This constitutes an additional safeguard for holding the shell within its housing. With the described construction it will be manifest that in order to permit the removal of the socket from the housing for the purpose of making or breaking the connection with the conductors of the cord, it will be necessary to release the said clamp 37 which, in the present instance, is facilitated by making the said clamp 37 in two parts as shown best in Fig. 4, said parts being adjustably connected together by suitable screws 39-40 cooperating respectively with two pairs of outwardly projecting ears on adjacent ends of the two part clamp 37, one of each pair of ears being tapped as shown at 41 to fit the threads of the screw.

The described details of construction being illustrative of only one application of the invention, the scope of the latter should be determined by reference to the appended claims, said claims being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a portable electric lamp, the combination of a metallic socket for detachably receiving the base of a lamp bulb, a peripheral flange extending outwardly from the end of the socket and an insulating housing for the socket having its wall spaced from the body of the socket to provide an air space, the outer end of the socket being positioned in said housing solely by said peripheral flange.

2. In a portable electric lamp, the combination of a metallic socket for detachably receiving the base of a lamp bulb, a peripheral flange extending outwardly from the end of the socket and an insulating housing for the socket having its wall spaced from the body of the socket to provide an air space, the socket being supported in said housing by said peripheral flange, said flange being apertured to permit circulation of air between said space and the outside of the housing.

3. In an electric lamp, the combination of an open-ended elastic flexible insulating housing provided near its open end with an inwardly extending shoulder, an internally threaded lamp-base-receiving socket insertable in said housing but only after distortion of the open end of the housing, and retained in said housing by said shoulder, a centerscontact carried by but insulated from said socket, a pair of conductors respectively connected to the socket and center-contact, and extending out through the other end of said housing, the body of said socket being spaced from the inner surface of the housing, and means at the inner and outer ends of said socket for maintaining the same in spaced relation. 4

f 4. In an electric lamp, the combination of an open-ended elastic flexible insulating housing providedcnear its open end with an in- VWardly extending shoulder, an internally threadedl lamp-base-receiving socket insct- I able in said housing but only after ldistortion of the open en d of the housing, and retained i in said housing by said shoulder, a. center- Contact carried by but insulated from said socket, a pair of conductors respectively connected to the socket and center-contact, and extending out through the other end of said housing, the body of said socket being spaced from the inner surface of the housmg, and the outer end of the shell being provided with an outwardly projecting'circumferential apertured flange for positioning the socket in the housing while permitting circulation of air.

5. In combination, a. socket and a housing of resilient rubber for said socket, said housing being spaced from the exterior of the socket to provide an air space for cooling purposes to prevent damage to the rubber by heat generated by an electric lamp when mounted in the socket, and means extending radially from said-socketand engaging said 50 housing for vmaintaining said spaclng, said 9 ymeans having openings for ventilation when x a lamp is mounted in the socket.

6. In combination, a metallic socket for receiving the base of an electric lamp, a. housing of resilient rubber for said socket, the body of said socket being spaced from the inner surface of said housing to provide air space for cooling purposes to prevent damage to the rubber as an incident to. heat generated by a lamp mounted insaid socket, and

means at the inner and outer ends of said socket and cooperating with said housing for maintaining the same in said spaced relation.

7 In a portable electric lamp device, the

combination of a. metallic socket for supporting the base of a lamp bulb, a lip extending outwardly` from the socket mouth, and an insulating housing forthe socket having its walt spaced from the body of the socket to provide an air space, the outer end of the socket being positioned in the housing by said lip, said socket being spaced for the` major portion of its length `from the inner wall of said housing by said air space.

H. H. WERMINE. 

